24. Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!”
25. Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:
26. You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life.
27. You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.
28. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it?
29. Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you.
30. They will say, “You started building, but could not finish the job.”
31. What will a king do if he has only ten thousand soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with twenty thousand soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win?